The Betrayed
by Misha
Summary: Eight years ago, Harry was convicted of a crime he didn't commit and condemned by those he loved. With the help of an unlikely, he escaped. Now, his name has been cleared and he's once again needed, but he's not the Harry of old... *now edited*
1. Prologue: The Most Unlikely of Rescuers

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

Disclaimer- Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling and is not mine, however much I might wish differently. However, I am not making any money off of this, so please do not sue me! 

**Special Note- I decided to rewrite this after reading "Order of the Phoenix", because I was still able to salvage the story and keep in it cannon. So, several details have been changed, but the basic plot remains the same. Still, I'd advise rereading the whole thing, as several aspects are now different. I've changed several key points, due to things revealed in OotP. Well, that's all, thank you and enjoy!**

Author's Notes- I was flipping through the usual 'Harry is convicted of a crime he didn't commit and everyone turns on him' stories. Two things struck me, a) if anyone helps Harry it's usually Snape, b) Harry either forgives everyone as soon as they realize he's innocent and apologize or he goes psycho. As I was bother by both of these things I decided to write my own story. In it, Snape is not the one to help Harry, because though I like Snape, I also believe that his resentment is too ingrained and would blind him to the truth. So, I picked another unlikely candidate, Draco. I believe in some ways it fits and I'll go into that in great detail in the story. As for Harry reaction to his friends. Well, I was thinking about it. If it was me and the people I loved turned on me without giving me a chance, I'd be angry and hurt. And if they came to me and apologized, once they had proof of my innocence, I would not be willing to forgive them right away. Forgiveness takes time, it's a slow process and I'll show that here. In time, Harry will begin to forgive those who wronged him, but he won't forget what was done and things will never be the way they are. This is not a happy fic, nor a lighthearted fic. It's dark and depressing. It's set in the middle of a full-fledged war with Voldemort, a war that the light side is losing. It shows the uglier side of human nature--and I take a few shots at some beloved characters. Also, this will eventually be a slash story. This is my first attempt of writing in-depth Harry/Draco slash, so I apologize if it's truly terrible. Well, that's all for now, enjoy! 

Pairings- Harry/Draco, minor Harry/Hermione. 

Summery- Eight years ago, Harry Potter was convicted of a crime that he didn't commit and those who claimed to love him turned their backs on him. It was only through the help of an unlikely ally that he escaped with his life. Now his name has been cleared and he is called to help those who condemned him, but they will soon learn that the Harry they remember no longer exists... 

Rating- PG-13 

Spoilers- All five books.   


* * *

Prologue

Harry stood in his cell staring out into space. 

He couldn't believe that he was here. That all his so-called friends had turned on him. Even Ron had betrayed him. 

_There's loyalty for you._ Harry thought bitterly. 

The people he had loved and trusted had sentenced him to life in prison for a crime he hadnÕt committed. He was just lucky that they had done away with the Dementor's Kiss as a punishment. 

It didn't bother him that the Ministry had attempted to crucify him, after all they were pretty much in Voldemort's pocket these days. He wasn't even that bothered by the public turning their backs on him, after all, they had done it to him before. He was used to it now. 

No, the only betrayal that stung was that of the people he had loved. The people he would have given up anything to protect. 

"Potter." Harry looked up and saw someone standing outside his cell. 

"Malfoy." He said, his eyes narrowed. "Come to gloat?" 

"No." His nemesis said quietly. "I've come to free you." 

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief. 

"You heard me." Draco told him. 

"Why?" Harry asked. "You hate me." 

"Yeah, but I know that you're innocent." Draco said. "Come on, Potter, there's no way you would ever kill anyone. Especially not Granger, I know how much you loved her." 

"Thank you." Harry said quietly, unable to believe that his worst enemy believed him when his friends did not. "Still, give me one reason why I should believe you. You are a Death Eater, after all." 

"Because you have nothing else to lose." Draco told him matter-of-factly. "Besides, things change Potter, we all make mistakes. Some of us just have a hard time getting out of them." 

Harry was quiet, hearing the truth in Draco's words. Besides, he was right, it wasn't like Harry had anything else to lose. So why not risk it? 

"I've set everything up." Draco told him briskly after a moment's silence. "I've arranged for a new identity and money to be waiting for you when you get out of here. As soon as you get to your destination go to the Maditor Inn and ask for Daniel. He's a contact of mine and will have everything you need." 

"How will I get out of here?" Harry asked. "If you haven't noticed, I'm a high-security prisoner." 

"And I'm Lucius Malfoy's son." Draco told him. After Voldemort had seized control of the Ministry, Lucius had regained the power he had lost when the truth about his involvement with the Death Eaters had come out. "I wasn't checked when I came in. I brought a portkey. The activation word is 'innocence.' Activate it as soon as I'm gone." 

Harry nodded and Draco slipped the tiny object through the bars. 

Harry held in his hand. "A key?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. 

Draco shrugged. "I thought it fit. It is your key to freedom after all." 

Harry closed his eyes for a minute. 

"Thank you." He said finally. 

Draco smiled. "You're welcome. Well, I should go. I don't want to be connected to your escape." 

Harry nodded. "Okay." 

Draco turned to leave. "Hey, Potter?" 

"Yeah?" 

"Have a good life." Draco told him. 

Harry smiled sadly. "I'll try." 

He watched Draco walk away and waited for the portkey activated. 

He wondered why Azkaban didn't have some barrier against them, then realized that they probably hadn't bothered because visitors weren't allowed, not that they'd want to come. 

An exception had been made for Draco because of who he was and because no one would ever suspect him of helping Harry escape. 

Suddenly, the portkey became active and Harry found himself standing in the countryside. 

Harry looked around and closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanks. Then he began to walk towards the village and his new life.   
*** 


	2. Part One: From Villain Back to Hero

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part One

_Eight Years Later_

Draco entered Professor Dumbledore's office. 

He had been summoned for a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. 

It had been four years since he had gone to Dumbledore and joined his side as a spy. 

It was fact that it had long time since he truly supported the Dark Lord, not since he was a foolish child, but his disgust at how the light side had treated their 'hero' that had held him back. 

However, he finally was pushed to the point where he couldn't take it any more. 

Still, though he was a member, he did not consider himself one of them and he had little respect for any of them and doubted that would ever change. 

But he had to bite back his feelings to help with the survival of their world. The war with Voldemort raged on, never ending as the Death Eaters got more and more power. 

Draco knew that the other members of the Order were beginning to give up. After all, it didn't seem like they would ever find away to defeat Voldemort. 

Draco took his seat quietly. 

Dumbledore nodded at him and began the meeting. 

"As a few of you know, I have begun a search for Harry Potter." Dumbledore announced. "I believe that he is our only chance at winning the war." 

Draco fought back a bitter laugh. 

These were the same people who had been willing to let Potter rot in jail. Now, though, they had proof that he was innocent, so they wanted him back to save their asses. 

Still, he wondered why, knowing of the prophecy as he did, they had let Harry go to jail in the first place. Probably because they had been afraid that he would turn into another Dark Lord and they decided that they would find another way of beating Voldemort. 

Damn, they were all fools. 

"You do realize that he probably has no desire to be found, right?" Draco asked caustically. "And even if he is found, what makes you think he'd come back?" 

Ron Weasley glared at him. 

"Because he's _Harry_." He cried. "Harry would never let millions die when there was something he could do." 

"So you believe that, do you?" Draco asked. "Yet you thought that Potter was capable of killing the woman he loved in cold blood. But then, you were blinded by jealousy, weren't you? It was easy to blame Harry since he had taken her away from you in the first place." 

Weasley blushed beat red at his accusation, but didn't deny it. The rest of the people in the room looked uncomfortable. 

Draco gave them all a scornful look. "If I were Potter, I'd want nothing to do with any of you." 

"But you're not Harry!" Weasley protested. "And you know, this really has nothing to do with you!" 

"Except for the fact that I'm the one who helped Potter escape." Draco said with an amused grin. 

Everyone stared at him. 

"You helped Harry escape?" Remus Lupin questioned desperately. "So you know where he is?" 

"I know where he was." Draco answered. "But I have no idea where he is now." 

"Why would you help him escape?" Ginny Weasley asked. "You hated him." 

"Yeah, but I also knew he was innocent." Draco informed her. "I knew that Potter wasn't capable of killing anyone, especially not the woman he loved." 

His words hit a sore note with the other people in the room. The very people who had believed just that and turned their backs when Harry needed them the most. 

"Draco, we need Harry's former address." Albus said. "As well as the name he is currently living under. It will help us find him." 

Draco shrugged. "I'll give them to you. But I can't guarantee you'll find him or that he'll come back. I know I wouldn't." 

"That's because you're an evil bastard." Ron muttered. 

Draco shot him a pointed look. "_I'm_ an evil bastard? Which one of us turned our back on our best friend without listening to his side of the story and condemned him for a murder he hadn't committed when he had just lost the love of his life?" 

Ron blanched at Draco's words. 

"Yeah, I'm the evil bastard all right." Draco said, shaking his head. "God, I hope Potter tells you all to go to Hell like you deserve."   
*** 


	3. Part Two: Another Life

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Two

The man who had once been known as Harry Potter, smiled at the woman by his side. He thought about his old life for a moment and then shook his head. 

He was no longer who he had once been. His name was now Evan Harris. 

He often wondered why Draco had chosen that name, but had decided he'd never know why Malfoy did anything. Especially why he had made the decision to help Harry escape. 

Still, he was eternally grateful to his former nemesis. 

He had a good life now. It was not the life he had left behind, but in some ways it was better. 

At 27 he was more self-aware than he had ever been at 19 and he saw the truth of the past more clearly. 

He now saw the way that those he had called friends had forced him to a role. He had thought that they had known him, but he realized now that they never had. 

Only Hermione had seen him as he was, as more than just the hero, the "Boy Who Lived". 

The others had just made him into what they had wanted him to be and when it looked like he might have feet of clay after all, they had turned on him. 

They condemned him to a fate worse than death without listening to his side of the story. Never as long as he lived would Harry, or rather Evan, ever forgive that betrayal. 

But it didn't matter. Not really. 

As far as he was concerned, that part of his life no longer existed and those people were as dead to him as he was sure that he was to them. 

He turned his attention back to the woman at his side. 

"I'm sorry?" He asked, realizing that he had missed what she had just said. 

Amanda laughed. "I just commented that you seemed awfully far away." 

Evan shrugged. "I was just thinking." 

"Oh?" Amanda queried. "Any interesting thoughts?" 

Evan shook his head. "Nope. Not really." 

He looked at Amanda with a bright smile. 

She really was quite beautiful. They had been dating for two years and he was quite fond of her. 

He didn't love the way he had loved Hermione, but he doubted he would ever love anyone like that again. 

Still, he was seriously considering asking Amanda to marry him. 

Of course there was problem that any children he had were likely to be magical and their existence might clue in the magical community to his whereabouts. 

He had gone out of his way to make sure he was never found. He had change his appearance and identity, made a new history for himself, had not used magic once since the day he left Azkaban, and had been careful not to reveal anything that could hint of a connection to Harry James Potter. 

Because as far as he was concerned, Harry Potter was dead. 

"So what do you want to do tonight?" He asked Amanda, shaking the thoughts away. 

She smiled and was about to reply when the doorbell rang. 

Evan sighed. "I'll get it." 

He walked into the hall and opened the front door, and then he stopped short. 

For standing there were two people he had never expected, nor wished to see again. Albus Dumbledore and Remus Lupin. 

"What do you want?" He demanded coldly. 

"We want you to come home, Harry." Albus said quietly. 

Evan snorted. "Tough luck then. Because I have no desire to go back."   
*** 


	4. Part Three: An Unwanted Reunion

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Three

"Harry, can we come inside and talk?" Dumbledore asked softly. 

Harry sighed. "Whatever and it's Evan now. I stopped being Harry the day you all turned your back on me." 

He could see from the pain on both Remus and Dumbledore's faces that his words had had the desired affect. 

He stepped aside so that the two men could come in and he then led them to the living room. 

Amanda looked at them in surprise. 

"Mandy, I'd like you to meet two former..." Evan paused, unwilling to use the words 'friends', "acquaintances of mine." 

Amanda smiled. "Hello." 

Evan looked at Amanda. "Mandy, could you give us some time alone?" 

"Of course. I'll be upstairs." She kissed him briefly, smiled at Remus and Dumbledore, and then left the room. 

"You wanted to talk. So talk." Evan said as soon as Amanda was gone. 

"Harry, first we want you to know how sorry we all are." Dumbledore began. 

"Don't." Harry told him. "I don't want to hear it. I assume the reason that you're so sorry and that your here now is because you've found the real killer." 

Dumbledore and Remus exchanged guilty looks. 

"Well, yes." Dumbledore admitted. "Two years ago. We've been looking for you ever since." 

"Who was it?" Harry asked. 

He needed to know who had killed Hermione. He needed to know the identity of the person who had ruined his life. 

Dumbledore and Remus exchanged a long look. 

"Percy Weasley." Remus said finally. 

Harry laughed bitterly at the news. 

Of course, it made sense now. In fact, he had always suspected it was so, after all Percy was the one who had testified under vertasium that he had seen Harry kill Hermione. 

Harry still didn't know how Percy had managed to lie under the truth serum, but he had long since stopped caring. No, the only thing that still bothered him was that fact that everyone had taken the world of a man who had turned his back on his family and the light side once over the supposed hero. 

It showed you how fickle people really were. 

"How did you find out?" Harry asked cooly. 

"He... He was revealed as a Death Eater about three years ago, we caught him in the act." Remus told him. "We questioned him at length. We put him under the truth serum again, but this time it worked. It seemed that the person who had been administrating it eight years ago had been tampering with it, as they were also a Death Eater. Anyway, he eventually confessed that he was the one to kill Hermione and frame you as, well as planting the evidence that made it look as if you were turning to the dark side and attempting to become the next Dark Lord." 

"And so you started looking for me." Evan said bitterly. "Once you realized that I was innocent after all, you decided that you wanted your little pet hero back." 

"That's not true." Remus protested. "We wanted you back, Harry." 

"You never even knew me." Evan accused, shaking his head. "If you had, you would never have believed for an instant I was capable of killing 'Mione." 

Neither Remus or Dumbledore responded to that, because there was nothing they could say. 

"How did you find out where I was?" Evan asked, honestly curious. He had thought he had hidden better than that. 

"Draco Malfoy told us." Dumbledore answered. "He is a member of the Order now and when pushed, he revealed the identify he had created for you. He refused to say much more." 

"Well except for the fact that he hoped you told us all to go to Hell." Remus muttered. 

Evan grinned wryly. "It's tempting. It sounds like Draco wasn't all that thrilled to let you know where I was, so I'm assuming your here for a real reason then. What is it?" 

"Harry, things have gotten much worse in your absence." Dumbledore told him. "The war is going badly for us. Voldemort's power just keeps on growing." 

Evan nodded. "I see. You're losing the war, so you decided to track me down and get me to solve the problem. Lovely." 

"We know we have no right to ask anything of you." Remus said. "But will you come anyway?" 

Evan paused. He really didn't want to go back, especially since that world was no longer his home. But nor could he just sit and watch as an ultimate darkness took control. 

"Fine." He said. "I'll come back and do my part. But when this is over, if we win, I'm leaving again and I want your promise that you'll never come after me." 

"All right." Both Dumbledore and Remus agreed sadly. 

"Good." Evan stood up. "Let me go talk to Amanda and make something up and pack some things. Then I'll be ready to go." 

The two men nodded. Evan headed for the door and then he stopped. 

"Oh." He said, turning out around. "Just because I've come back doesn't mean I've forgiven you. Not by a long shot." 

Then he walked out of the room, not even bothering to see how they reacted to his words.   
*** 


	5. Part Four: Memories

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Four

Walking into Hogwarts for the first time in eight years was a strange experience for Evan. Because it forced him to become Harry again. 

He was silent all the way to Hogwarts. And he still didn't say anything as he, Dumbledore, and Remus made their way to Dumbledore's office. 

They walked inside and saw a huge crowd of people waiting there for them. 

Harry looked at the faces of people he had once trusted, people who had turned on him. Finally he looked at Draco. 

"Draco." He said softly. 

"Harry." Draco returned. "I see they convinced you to come back?" 

"Temporarily." Harry said. "The deal is that when the war is over, I get to leave and they promise to never, ever try and find me. I'm only here because I can't turn by back on people in need, but I don't want anything to do with any of them." 

The message was directed at the whole room and many people gasped. 

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. Harry looked at her. 

"Don't 'Harry' me." He warned in a low voice. "You lost that right eight years ago." 

Draco nodded approvingly. "Good. I was afraid that you had were as still as much of a wimp as you were back then. But I see that you've grown a backbone." 

"Life will do that to you." Harry told him with a shrug. 

Draco nodded. 

"Harry, I'm so sorry." Ron said quietly. 

"Don't you dare." Harry told him coldly. "It's too late. You were my best friend, yet you honestly believed I was capable of murder." 

Ron looked down at his feet. 

"There are only three people in this room who didn't condemn me." Harry said in a low voice. "And they are the only three I still respect." 

He gave Draco a small smile, which was returned. 

Then, he turned to look at Neville Longbottom. 

"You always supported me, even at the worst of times." He said quietly. 

The other man just looked him in the eye. "I believed in you." 

Harry nodded and then focused his attention on Molly Weasley. 

"I'll never forget what you whispered in my ear as I was dragged away." He told her softly. "You said that you knew it wasn't me. But that even if it had been, you'd still love me. You always were like a mother to me." 

"And you another son." Molly said quietly. "I knew in my heart that you couldn't have done it." 

Harry smiled slightly. Even in his darkest moments, it had warmed him slightly to know that neither Molly and Neville thought he was capable of murder. 

"You didn't think Harry was guilty, Mum?" Fred asked in surprise. Everyone had known of Neville's feelings, he had been quite vocal in his public support of Harry. Molly, though, had been quieter in her belief. 

"Of course not." Molly told him with a sharp look. "Unlike the rest of you, I knew Harry better than that. In case you forget, I never once said I thought he was guilty." 

Her children looked abashed. 

Harry coughed. "Well as fun as this reunion has been," he said sarcastically, "there is a reason I am here and it's not too exchange pointless chitchat with people I could have lived happily without ever seeing again." 

"Very well." Dumbledore said quietly. "Let's get to down business." 

People sat down. Harry took a seat between Draco and Molly. 

He faced his former friends with a blank expression, waiting for them to speak. Soon, they began to fill him in on all that occurred in his absence. 

Harry listened carefully. He was no longer the boy he had been. He wasn't going to rush blindly into something because it was right. He would think about his options and his actions. 

After all, he was no longer motivated by blind loyalty. He no longer felt loyalty to these people, after all, he had no reason to. 

So, now he would plot his moves carefully. 

He smiled slightly. If they were expecting the old Harry, were they ever in for a surprise.   
*** 


	6. Part Five: Reminders of Love Lost

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Five

Harry dumped his belongings on the bed. 

He was staying at Hogwarts for the duration of his visit, mainly because he refused to go anywhere else. 

Since it was summer, Albus had offered to have Harry sleep in the Gryffindor tower and he had agreed. In fact, he had requested to sleep in the Head Girls' room there and Albus had given permission. 

Harry looked around the room that had once been Hermione's. 

He had asked to stay here, because he had some incredibly happy memories of this room. Memories of his time with Hermione... 

Harry closed his eyes. He had never been able to properly mourn her. 

Sure, he had thought about her often during his years in the Muggle world, but that wasn't the same. He should have been allowed to visit familiar spots, take comfort in the memories that lay there and mourn her properly. 

Now he had his chance. 

Harry looked around the room where they had spent so many nights together, talking, laughing, making love... They had made love for the first time in this room. 

God, that was a long time ago. Their seventh year at Hogwarts, she had been Head Girl and he had been knee-deep in the war, still the golden boy. They had been the perfect couple, the golden couple. 

Oh, how he missed those days... 

Closing his eyes, Harry could almost believe that she was there with him. He could picture her so clearly in his mind... 

The problem with that is he kept getting older and she always stayed the same. Life moved on and Hermione had been left behind. 

He was quiet for a moment, thinking about a realization he'd had a while before. 

He had loved 'Mione very much, but he wondered now, if it was the right kind of love. Was it the everlasting kind of love? Or was it young love disguised as something else? Had they been that deeply in love or was it more because of circumstance? 

He didn't know and he supposed it didn't matter. Hermione was gone, who cared now whether or not what they had would have lasted? There was no way of ever knowing. 

What mattered was that he had loved her and that she had loved him. 

And it was for her sake that he had returned to the wizarding world. He knew that it was what his 'Mione would have wanted from him and he owed it to her to try and avenge her death. Her horrible, senseless death. 

Even if it did screw the life he had now. 

Amanda, hadn't been that thrilled with him taking off for an undisclosed amount of time, to an unknown location for reasons he wouldn't tell her and he couldn't blame her. 

The state of their relationship had been up in the air when he left. He couldn't honestly tell you whether or not it would survive. 

But at this point, he was doubtful. 

Coming back here, had brought back a part of himself that he had buried. The second he had stepped foot in Hogwarts, it had all come back to him. 

He even had his wand back. They had never snapped it, because of it's powerful connection to Voldemort. Harry guessed that if a final battle come, someone else would have tried to use it. 

But now he had it back. Now he was a wizard again and he didn't know if he could walk away once more. 

What he did know was that Amanda didn't fit into this part of his life. 

So, he was assuming that it was probably over. He wasn't even all that unhappy about it. 

He cared for Amanda very much, but he didn't love her at least not the way he should, the way she deserved. She deserved to be loved completely and he wasn't sure he could ever love anyone that way ever again.   
*** 


	7. Part Six: From Enemies to Friends

The Betrayed By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Six

Harry spent the next few days wandering the halls of Hogwarts. 

He was surprised by all the memories that greeted him. But he shouldn't have been, really, for seven years Hogwarts had been his home--it was natural that the halls held lots of memories for him. 

Most of the memories had been tainted by what had happened eight years ago, but he supposed that was only natural. 

"You seem a million miles away." A familiar voice commented. 

Harry looked up where he was sitting in the library to see Draco standing in front of him. 

"More like years away, actually." He said with a smile. "I was remembering things." 

"Good or bad?" Draco asked. 

Harry shrugged. "A little bit of both. I was just thinking about our days at Hogwarts--we were rather foolish, weren't we?" 

"Oh, yes." Draco said, shaking his head. "We were so caught up in inter-house rivalry and petty disagreements that we didn't see the problems of the real world." 

"Not until they were upon us." Harry agreed. "The memories are bittersweet now--how naive I was." 

"We all were, Harry." Draco said in a quiet voice. 

Harry looked at his former rival in amusement. "I'm still not used to you calling me by my first name." 

Draco laughed. "Yeah, well it takes some getting used to." 

"You know, I've spent eight years thinking about the day on the Hogwarts express." Harry said quietly. "I kept wondering what would have happened had I shaken your hand. Well, besides being put in Slytherin, after all, it's what the hat wanted." 

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Really?" 

"Yeah." Harry said. "The only other people I've ever told about that were Dumbledore and 'Mione. But I've thought about it a lot. Maybe I should have been a Slytherin--if I was, I wouldn't have been so damned trusting." 

"Perhaps." Draco agreed. "But if you had gone into Slytherin, you probably would never have know Gr-Hermione. After all, I doubt that the Slytherins would have been supporting of your relationship with a Muggle-born." 

"Probably not." Harry agreed, wincing at the thought of having never loved his adored 'Mione. "But, I still think I should have listened to you that day on the Hogwarts Express when you warned me about making friends with the wrong sort. You've turned out to be more trustworthy than Ron." 

Draco snorted. "Well, win some, lose some. I had a long, dark road to travel to where I am now. Besides, you do realize that he turned on you because he was jealous, right?" 

"I eventually figured that out." Harry admitted. "He loved her too." 

"Or at least he thought he did." Draco told him. "And he couldn't stand that you had her--so when the chance came to condemn you, he did it without a second thought." 

"That's friendship for you." Harry said quietly. "You know, if 'Mione had chosen Ron instead of me, I doubt I would have reacted that way." 

"That's because you're the hero." Draco said. "No matter how much you run from it, deep down, that will never change. You're the good guy." 

"For all the good that it's done me." Harry muttered. "What did I get out of it? Oh, yeah--several attempts on my life, a prison sentence, betrayal by those that I trusted, the death of the woman I loved, and, oh, yeah, I bet I'm still number one on the Death Eaters most-wanted list. What a lovely existence." 

"Has it really been that bad?" Draco asked quietly. 

"I didn't used to think so." Harry answered after a minute. "But now. I don't know... I've been carrying the bitterness with me for a lot of years." 

Harry shook his head. "This is getting too depressing for me." He said. "Besides, isn't there an Order meeting today?" 

Draco nodded. "Yeah, you need to be briefed on all that's happened since your escape." 

"Then, let's go." Harry said and with a nod, his former enemy followed him towards the Headmaster's office.   
*** 


	8. Part Seven: Not the Boy He Used to Be

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Seven

Draco studied Harry during the Order meeting. 

He still couldn't believe how much the other man had changed in the last eight years. Draco could barely see any hints of the boy he had once loathed so much. 

The Harry Potter of yesterday was apparently lost forever and this new version had a much different way of looking at things. 

Just then, as if to prove Draco's point, he suddenly became aware of what Harry was saying. 

"There's no way I'm rushing blindly into a situation without carefully plotting my options." Harry stated bluntly. "Especially, since I don't see the point in risking my life for needless reasons." 

"Needless?" Remus asked in disbelief. "The lives of most of the wizarding community are in danger!" 

"You mean the same wizarding community that turned it's back on me without a second thought?" Harry asked in a quiet, deadly tone. 

No one said anything, what could they say? 

"That's what I thought." Harry said quietly. "Believe it or not, I no longer give a damn about the wizarding world." 

"Then why are you here?" Ron challenged, looking at Harry defiantly. 

Harry stared his former best friend down. "Because Hermione would want me to." He said quietly. "I'm only here for her and because I never got the chance to avenge her death. That's the only reason I give a damn about any of it." 

_Bravo._ Draco said silently, watching the effects Harry's words had on everyone. 

"You're not the man she loved." Ron sneered, breaking the silence. "Hermione loved you because you were the hero--she would have hated how self-serving bastard you've become." 

"Well, at least she loved me." Harry said with a small smile. "You can't say that, can you?" 

Ron flushed a deep, angry red. 

Harry smirked. "I thought not." With that, he got up out of his chair. 

"I think we're done for the day." He announced in a low voice and he then turned and left the room, leaving everyone staring after him. 

After a minute, Draco also rose from his chair. "Well this has been fun." He said with a smirk. "But, I'm going to follow Potter's lead and get out of here." 

He didn't wait to hear what anyone said before he too left the room. He then decided to go look for Harry. 

That had been quite a scene in there and he was very impressed. It seemed that the old, malleable Harry Potter was gone for good and this new one looked like he was a whole lot more interesting!   
*** 

_Destruxion_- I'm glad you like it. You've seen what happened in the meeting, as for Harry's battle with Voldemort, stay tuned, I guarentee it will be interesting. 

_Miss Malfoy_- I update as often as I can and I'm glad you like it. Harry will definitely have a few more goes at it with everyone. He had a lot of repressed anger, as I'm sure you can imagine. 


	9. Part Eight: Connected

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Eight

Draco found Harry in his room, staring at the walls. 

"Are you all right?" Draco asked quietly. "You ran out of there pretty quickly." 

"Do you think he was right?" Harry asked, ignoring Draco's question. "Do you think 'Mione would hate the man I've become?" 

"No." Draco said instantly. "I'll admit that I didn't know her very well, but I knew her well enough to know that nothing could have convinced her to stop loving you. Besides, I think she would have understood what made you the man you are today." 

"Maybe." Harry answered, still staring at the walls. 

"Anyway, it's a moot point, because if she had lived, you'd be a different man." Draco commented softly. "You'd still be the Harry of yesterday." 

"Perhaps." Harry agreed, turning to look at Draco. "I wanted to kill Ron in there." 

"I often feel like that." Draco told him. "Weasley's an ass, he always has been." 

"I guess he has." Harry said softly. "But I never saw it. Not until it was too late." 

"We're always blind when it comes to the ones we love." Draco said quietly. "I didn't realize how evil my father was until I was already in over my head." 

"But you got out." Harry said quietly. 

"In a way." Draco agreed. "But it involved me coming to people who I still don't like or respect and begging them for help." 

"You do what you have to do." Harry said with a strange look on his face. "I had a life, away from here. I even had a girlfriend." 

"Oh?" Draco asked, not sure why Harry brought the subject up. 

"I was happy." Harry told him. "Or at least as happy as I thought I'd ever be again. The girl, Amanda, was nice and I liked her. I didn't love her, but it was enough. Or it was until I came back here and it all came back to me... Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with the memories and what I had with Amanda wasn't enough because it couldn't compare to what I lost." 

"Could anything?" Draco asked softly. 

"That's the funny thing," Harry told him, "I think something could. I think that there is someone out there I could love as much I loved Hermione. Not in the same, but just as much. It could never be Mandy, because when I was with her, I had never let go. I had buried the past and my heart with it." 

Draco nodded, understanding. Harry had been forced to confront the past, after all these years, and because of that, he was finally being freed from it. 

"It must be strange." Draco said finally, not sure what else to say. "To be able to let go after all these years of holding it in." 

"Yeah." Harry said with a slight laugh. "A whole new chapter of my life has opened up in front of me and I'm not sure how to deal with it." 

"It takes time." Draco said quietly. "But, it'll come to you. And for what's it worth, I'm here." 

Harry looked straight at him and smiled. 

It was the most amazing smile Draco had ever seen. He had got glimpses of the Boy-Who-Lived's smile during their Hogwarts, but this was the first time one had ever been directed at him and it affected him more than he could put into words. 

The two of them just stared at each other, without speaking for a long moment. 

No words were needed for the two of them to know that the bond had been forged eight years ago, when one enemy reached out to the other in an unexpected act of kindness, had just been strengthened. In that instant it had become the kind of bond that is never broken.   
*** 

**Elessar**- Thanks, me neither. I never have, so he's not going to be portayed in that nice a light. In fact, pretty much the opposite. 

**Destruxion**- The only big changes are that I made Percy Hermione's killer instead of Neville and I edited out Sirius' prescence. I'm glad you like it and that you appreciate my Harry. He is darker and colder, because like makes you that way. He's seen the harsher side of life and that changed him forever. As for pairings, like I said at the beginning, this will eventually be Harry/Draco slash. 

**athenakitty**- Harry will visit Hermione's grave at some point, he'll need that last bit of closure before he can let go. He will also have heart-to-heart talks with both Neville and Mrs. Weasley at some point in the near future. His additude towards the Order will be hostile, but he won't lose his temper--he doesn't think that their worth it. As for Voldie, you're gonna have to wait and see how that one turns out, aren't you? 

**whitebearwrites**- I'm glad you like it. As for Ron and the others, I wanted to show that they never really saw Harry. He was the hero and once it was even hinted that he might have feet of clay, they turned their backs on him. 

**bthatcher2002**- I'm glad you like the story and the new Harry. I guarentee that there's quite a bit more to come. 

**Kimmy**- Thank you! I'll try to update more often, I just get boggled down by real life. I'm glad you like my Harry and Draco, I'm quite fond of them myself. 

**Zaln**- It's too bad that you didn't want to stay and read this, but I understand that slash isn't for everyone. I personally very much like the idea of Harry/Draco, but that's just me. 

**nyka**- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. 

**Moony-Black**- Thank you, that means a lot to me! 

**miki**- Thank you. I agree that this Harry is more realistic, less idealistic. He's seen the darkest life has to offer and that has brought out his Slytherin traits. He's not the good little Gryffindor anymore. 

**munkeemajick**- I'll see waht I can do. I'm glad you like the story, though. 

**Lady Stag**- I really like Draco to and I always wanted Harry adn Draco to become friends in the books, btu since that's not going to happen, I guess I just have to write my own version to make it happen. I definitly intend to continue and I have specific plans for this story, which I hope you enjoy. 

**Kemenran**- You'll have to read to find out, but I hope you'll like it. 


	10. Part Nine: Loyalty

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Nine

"Harry, can I talk to you?" 

Harry looked up to see Neville standing there. He smiled, honestly glad to see his former Housemate. 

He had thought of Neville often during the last eight years, always with fondness. Neville's loyalty had never wavered, he had always stood by Harry's side, something that Harry was indebted to him for. 

"Sure." He said, motioning for Neville to sit down beside him. He was in the Gryffindor common room, reading a book and trying not to be bogged down by his memories. 

"I'm sorry about Ron." Neville began. 

Harry shrugged. "Don't be. I stopped caring about Ron's actions a very long time ago. I simply don't care any more." 

Neville nodded. "Personally, I'm amazed that you decided to come back at all." He said after a moment. "I'm not sure I would have. But that's what makes you great." 

"Do you ever think that it could have been you?" Harry asked, long ago he had shared the details of the prophecy to Neville. 

"Occasionally." Neville admitted. "But I'm glad it wasn't. I'm not like you, Harry, I would have fallen apart by now if I'd had to face all that you've faced." 

"I came pretty close to falling apart not long after I left the wizarding world." Harry told him. "But, then I thought of what my mother sacrificed so that I could live and it seems like belittling that by throwing my life away. So, out of the ashes of my old life, I found a new one and I tried to be happy." 

"Did you succeed?" Neville asked. 

Harry smiled slightly. "Sometimes. When I didn't let myself think of Hermione and all that I had lost." 

"Does it still hurt?" Neville asked and then laughed. "What am I saying? Of course it does. You loved her." 

"Yeah." Harry agreed. "I did, still do, and it does still hurt, but not as much as it does and not as much as it could." 

"What do you mean?" Neville asked curiously. Harry smiled sadly. 

"The years lessened the pain, in a way." Harry told him quietly. "They passed. Whether or not she was there, time kept going. Life went on and I had to, too. I buried the pain for a long time and am just now beginning to deal with it, but it's not as horrible as I thought it would be. I'll always love her, but she's been gone a long time. A lot has happened, I've changed a lot. I'm not the man I was when I loved her." 

As soon as Harry said the words out loud, he realized that they were true. So much had changed, perhaps too much. 

"The worst part was coming back." Harry said after a long moment. "I'd spent eight years trying to forget and then I came back here and wham, it all hit me so suddenly. For the first time in eight years, I could see her clearly in my mind. There was no hiding from the memories. But in a way, that was a good thing, because it allowed me a bit of closure. Hiding from the memories, kept the pain alive and flourishing, but dealing with them, allowing myself to grieve for her, has helped to heal me." 

"I understand." Neville said. "More than most people I think." 

He paused. 

"My parents are dead now." He told Harry. "They finally passed away as few years ago. I finally was able to truly grieve. I mean, I had always felt as if they were gone already, but they were still there, so I couldn't truly grieve. But when they died, I was able to let go of all my emotion." 

"Exactly." Harry said quietly. "That's how it is for me. You can let go of everything you've had pent up inside of you for years." 

Neville nodded. "Yeah." He was quiet again. "It's good to have you back, Harry." 

"Thanks." Harry said, then he gave a small laugh. "Though, I'm not sure yet whether or not I'm glad to be back."   
*** 

**Serpent of LIght**- I'm glad you like it. I'll try to update when I can. 

**Slyterinselsa**- I'm glad you approve. Yes, it's going to be Harry/Draco. It's a pairing I've wanted to explore in depth for some time, I have some vignettes focusing on them, but this will be a new experience for me. I'll have to check your story out, I love darker!Harry. 

**Kimmy15**- I'm glad you like it and yes, they are getting much closer. Harry's helping the people who betrayed him, mainly, as he said, because it's what Hermione would want and also, he still wants to avenge her death, so helping them fits into his agenda. 

**SlytherinRose**- I'm glad you're looking forward to what happens between Harry and Draco, so am I. This story just keeps talking to me and half the time I'm not quite sure where it's going to lead. As for Severus, he'll make an appearance in chapter 10. I'm not sure how it'll be between him and Harry at first, but he will have a big part in the story before it's all over. 

******Morning Coffee**- I'm glad you like my new and improved Harry. Yeah, GoF is what allowed me to be able to imagine Ron the way he is in the story. Especially since the breaking point was Hermione and the feelings they both had for him. And yes, Draco was always consistent. I agree, that more than any other character. Draco understood him. That's something I intend to pursue in this story, the connection that I've always seen there. 

**Mella deRanged**- Sorry, this will definitely be slash. Yes, he liked Hermione, but that was a lifetime ago and besides, Harry always struck me as a person who could go either way, I think it would really be more about the person he had feelings for than their sex. 

**Drusilla Black- I'm glad you like it. Yeah, I'm having fun writing the Draco/Harry relationship. I also wanted to see a darker Harry and I'm having a great time writing him. **

**Ezekiel_Klitiras**- Thank you. 

**bthatcher**- I'm glad you like it. Sorry I don't update all taht often, computer issues. 

**Jade Maxwell**- Sorry, descriptions are not my strength, but I'm glad you like it despite that. 

**Fallen Dragon**- I'm glad you like it. Harry's not going to go back to being the person that he was. That just isn't possible, though he might manage to alleviate some of his anger in time. 

**Xirleb70**- Sorry, every once in a while a review gets in between my editing the new chapter and my positing it and I miss it. I'm glad you like the story and yes, Draco has feelings for Harry, though he doesn't even realize it yet. 


	11. Part Ten: The Girl of His Dreams

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

_A.N- A special thanks to my new beta-reader, the wonderful Marguerite for helping me with this chapter and pointing out my errors as well as making suggestions so that the chapter flows better._

Part Ten

_He is standing in a thick, unpenatrable mist, unable to see anything around him. _

Suddenly, a woman steps out of the fog and towards him. 

"Hermione." He whispers, unable to believe his eyes. 

She smiles and continues to walk towards him. 

He hold outs his hand, she takes it. Then, suddenly, she's torn away from him. 

A faceless villain holds her captive. She struggles and reaches out to him. "I never wanted him. I want you. Only you. I love you, Harry." Then she falls limp. 

"'Mione!" Harry screams, unable to believe his eyes. 

"It's your fault. She died because of you. You've never deserved her. I deserved her, I should have had her." 

Harry turns to see Ron standing there accusingly. 

"No." He cries. "If I could have saved her, I would have." 

He falls to his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. When he looks up, Ron and the shadowed figure had disappeared; he is alone. 

Then, he feels a hand on his shoulder. "Harry, let me help you." 

He looks up to see Draco there. 

"I want to help you." His former nemesis says beseechingly, holding out his hand. 

Harry stares at it, unsure whether to take it. It has been a long time since he has allowed anyone to get close to him, since he has allowed himself to lean on anyone. 

"Go to him." 

Harry turnsand sees Hermione standing there. 

"You need him. Go to him." 

Harry stares at her for a long moment and then turns towards Draco. He reaches out slowly to take the other man's hand... 

"Harry!" 

He hears his name being called and feels himself being pulled away.... 

"Harry!" 

Harry woke up with a start. He saw Draco standing by his bed. 

"You're late for an Order meeting." The other man told him. "I came in here to wake you and you were screaming Granger's name. I tried to wake you, kept calling your name. But you wouldn't wake. So I started shaking you. Nightmare?" 

Harry nodded, still a little disconcerted by his dream. "Yeah. It's the same one I've had since the night Hermione was killed. You'd think after all these years, it would stop getting to me." 

"I don't think it works that way." Draco told him wryly. 

"She's so young." Harry said suddenly. "When I dream about her, or even in my memories, she's so young. So much younger than me." 

"She's forever 19." Draco pointed out. "You've grown up, Harry, but Hermione... She never got the chance." 

"Yeah." Harry agreed. He looked at Draco. "Voldemort's going to pay for that. All the Death Eaters are going to pay." He said after a moment. "That's why I came back--to avenge her death. I know it won't bring 'Mione back, it won't give me the future I lost the night she died, but at least, it'll be something. At least I'll know that her death didn't go unanswered." 

"If you'll let me, I'll help." Draco answered. "I have a few things to make them pay for myself." 

"Oh?" Harry asked with curiosity. 

"You're not the only one who lost someone they loved." Draco commented. "That's what made me come to Dumbledore--Blaise's death." 

"Zabini?" Harry asked, conjuring a vague memory of the beautiful Slytherin girl. 

"She was like a sister to me." Draco answered. "We were never lovers. Still, she was my best friend. She tried to be neutral, but that wasn't good enough. Voldemort killed her when she refused to join." 

"I'm sorry." Harry answered quietly. "I never knew that you were close." 

In fact, he could never even remember seeing the two of them together. 

"There's a lot you didn't know about me back then." Draco pointed out. "You didn't exactly try to see past the surface." 

"That's true." Harry admitted. "I did you a great disservice." 

"That's okay." Draco told him. "I did you one, too. So let's call it even and move on." 

Harry nodded and then paused, thinking about Draco's quest. 

"Now there's one more person to avenge when the time comes." He said looking at Draco. "I'd be honoured to have you by my side when the moment comes." 

"I'd be honoured to be there." Draco answered. 

The two of them just looked at each for a long moment, before Harry broke the gaze. "Well, I guess I should get dressed." 

Draco nodded. "Yeah, I'll leave you to it. I'll see you when you get downstairs." 

Harry nodded and watched the other man go. 

He was still disturbed by his dream. He had been telling the truth when he said it was the same one he'd had since Hermione had been murdered, except the ending. This time the ending was different. 

In the past the nightmare had always ended with Ron accusing him of murdering her. He wondered what it meant, dreaming of Draco reaching out to him and Hermione telling him to go to him. 

Harry shook his head, now was not the moment to try and decipher his dreams.   
*** 

Harry entered Dumbledore's office ten minutes later and wasn't surprised to see the usual characters assembled. 

He was surprised to see Snape standing there, though. It was the first time he had seen Snape since his return. Apparently, the Potions Master had resumed his role of spy, having re-earned Voldemort's trust and a spot in the inner circle. 

"Snape." He said with a nod. 

"Potter." His former teacher said, with a nod of his own. Snape, like everyone else, had believed Harry guilty, yet Harry wasn't as angry with him as he was with all the others. 

Snape had never liked him, so, of course, _he_ would think the worst. In a way, it was almost justified. 

"Is there any chance," Snape began, looking Harry in the eye, "that your troubles these last eight years has curbed that troubling recklessness of yours?" 

"A slight one." Harry said with a smile. "Actually, I believe you'll find that I've changed quite a bit over the years." 

"So I've heard." Snape said, looking at Draco. 

Harry glanced at the other man and saw the slight smile in his eyes. Obviously he and Snape had talked about the drastic personality change that Harry had undergone in the years he had been a fugitive. 

"It's good to have you on our side." Snape said, offering the olive branch. 

"I'll do what I can." Harry said, accepting it. 

He had no grudge against Snape, not after everything else that happened. He held out his hand and Snape shook it. They looked each in the eyes and Harry saw, for the first time, respect and admiration in his former Professor's eyes. Snape had, at last, seen him as someone other than James Potter's son and the old grudges had been set aside.   
*** 

**Drucilla Black**- I'm glad you like it, I'll try not to put as much time between the chapters from now on. Like you, I have known what it's like to be betrayed, but in time I was able to forgive. Of course, it was nothing like what Harry went through, but, I believe forgivness is human nature. You don't have to forget, just forgive and move on. I might oblige you when it comes to killing Ron , as for Harry/Draco, lot's to come there, I'm just trying to gradually build it. I want to show a real emotion connection between the two. 

**Serpent of Light**- I'm glad you like it. I love Harry/Draco, though this is my first major attempt at writing it, I've done some short vignettes in the past, but nothing in depth, so this is a challenge. I'm a big fan of DarkHarry fics, myself, so that was another thing I wanted to try. I thought I might as well combine the two, since I can't really reconcile myself to the idea of DarkHarry/Hermione and H/Hr is the only other Harry pairing I like, which is probably obvious by this story.   
Good ones that I've read... Let's see, I'd suggest VMorticia's "And The Hat Said Slytherin" series. Then there's Yih's "The Mirror of Paradox", which is brillaint and "The Sorting Hat is Always Right", though I don't know who that's by. Both it and MoP can be found in my favourite stories list, while there's a link to VMorticia's page in my favourite author's section, if you hadn't read them. There's a couple others in my favourite story list, I think. I hope that helped. 

**Kemenran**- I'm glad you like it. 

**ezekiel Klitiras**- Thank you. 


	12. Part Eleven: The Daily Prophet

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Rating in Prologue._

_A.N- My beta reader never got back to me on this chapter and since it had been so long, I just decided to post it. After all, I made you guys wait a year for it. It's not much I'm afraid, but chapter twelve is in progress and will be up within a month, I promise._

Part Eleven

_

**THE BOY WHO LIVED RETURNS**   
Harry Potter Returns to the Wizarding World After An Eight Year Exhile   
By Rita Skeeter

_

It's been eight years since Harry Potter, only known survivor of the killing curse, was falsely accused of the murder of his fiancŽe, Hermione Granger.   
The Daily Prophet has now learnt that Potter, who mysteriously disappeared from Azkaban before his sentencing, has returned to the wizarding world and is currently residing at Hogwarts, where he went to school.   
Potter's return comes as the dark side is gaining strength. Many hope that the return will turn the tide in favor of the light side. However, according to sources within Hogwarts, Potter has changed over the years.   
"Harry's darker and more dangerous." Says one source who asked not to be named. "He's more independent."   
Still, the sources all say that Potter seems committed to fighting the Dark Lord, on his own terms.   
"He's made it clear that he's not doing it for the world, he's doing it for the people he loved." Ginny Weasley, a former friend of Potter's and a reporter here at the Daily Prophet_, said. "He has a lot of deaths to avenge and that's why he came back."   
The list is a long one, starting with his parents and including several friends, before ending with Granger.   
So, even if he is not the same boy that he was, it seems that Harry Potter's return can only be a good omen for the side of light.   
Maybe the turning of the tide has come at last._

Harry put down the paper and laughed. "Wow. The Rita Skeeter, I remember, would have written away more scandal-filled article." He commented. 

"Times have changed, sensationalism is no longer appreciated." Draco said dryly. 

"I guess." Harry agreed, shaking his head. "Well, that's one secret out of the closet, now the whole world knows I'm back." 

"Dumbledore obviously had his reasons, or Skeeter would never have written the piece." Draco told him. "She takes her orders from him these days." 

"Really?" Harry asked skeptically. "Interesting." 

"A lot of things have changed, my friend." Draco told him. "This is not the same world that you left." 

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Harry said sarcastically. 

Draco just smirked. 

"Still, I'm surprised that Dumbledore let the cat out of the bag." Harry said. "I assumed he'd go for the element of surprise." 

Draco frowned. "I would have thought the same thing, but... Well, I've never claimed to understood how Dumbledore thinks." 

That was the understatement of the year. Draco didn't understand the old man, nor did he particularly trust him, but... He was the only one willing to take on Voldemort, him and the Order, so Draco was stuck working with him. 

"I don't know if I want to." Harry countered. 

Draco met his eyes and they shared a moment of silent understanding. 

"Dumbledore's not my favorite person." Draco agreed. "He never was and after the way you were treated, my opinion just got lower, but he's better than the alternative." 

"I agree." Harry told him. "I mean, a part of me still wonders if I made the right choice, coming back. But really, there was no choice. Not if I wanted justice for 'Mione. Besides, I don't have to like Dumbledore, or even really trust him again, I just have to work with him to get what I want." 

"Exactly." Draco agreed. "The old Potter would never have been that objective." 

"Not about anything." Harry agreed. "I saw the world as black and white back then." 

"The blinders of youth." Draco told him. "Talking about things that have changed, it was good of you to put the past aside with Severus." 

Draco had been quite impressed by that action. He knew that in the past there had been a lot of bad blood between the two and he knew that the old Harry might still have held a grudge. He was glad to see that was another regard in which Harry had changed. 

"I have no problems with Severus." Harry said quietly. "Yeah, he was unkind to me when I was at school, but I wasn't all that nice to him and with everything else that has happened since then, it seems silly to hold a grudge over that. That was a lifetime ago, we've all changed." 

"That's for sure." Draco told him. "Everything has changed, hasn't it?" 

"Oh, yeah." Harry said with a laugh. Then he looked at him with a warm smile. "Some things for the better. I'm glad we're friends now, Draco." 

"So am I." Draco told him sincerely. 

He had always wanted to be friends with Harry Potter, but when his first overture had been rejected he had acted badly and that had defined the course of their relationship for so many years. 

Years that Draco regretted. 

He was just grateful that he and Harry had been given a second chance at friendship, because he had a feeling that it could be something special. He had never felt this deep of connection before in his entire life. 

So, maybe the changes had been for the best, because it had led them both to this place and Draco was very grateful for that. 

_So many reviews to answer! It makes me feel doubly bad for not updating in so long. Thank you guys for all the wonderful feedback. It means so much to me. Thank you!_

Kemenran- Thank you, I'll try. 

Night Owl 16- Thank you. I love Draco and Harry, so I tried very hard to write them well. As for Ron, we'll get more into it later, but really does all have to do with hermione. I'm glad you liked it. 

athenakitty- Ron wants to win the war, whichever way he can and if that means bring Harry back, great. Harry had adapted to his Muggle life, so yeah, he was having a good time and he wasn't too happy to give it up. Harry's innocence is widely known now, it's an established fact. Harry's going to have a hard time making peace with his past and with his ghosts. He has a lot of regrets. Harry doesn't want to understand Ron, doesn't want to forgive him. As for his money, I haven't thought about that... Hmmm... Harry sees no point in holding onto schoolhood grudges when so much has changed. He's not the person he was and he knows that other people have changed too. 

Qtype- I'm glad you like it. Harry and Draco are going to get together eventually, Harry has a lot of demons to work through first. I'm glad that you liked how Neville and Molly stayed with him, I couldn't imagine either of them turning on him. 

GaBoO- I'm glad you like it. Harry has gotten a raw deal, hasn't he? As for Draco, I love him, so I wanted to bring out his adorableness. 

JoKer- Thank you. I'm glad you like my portrayal of Draco. As for him and Harry, I think friends make the best lovers, so I wanted them to be friends first. But there are other feelings there. I couldn't see a way to make Snape believe it Harry, it just didn't seem to fit with the character. As for Ron, I'll think about it. 

Serpent of Light- I love Snape and I'm looking forward to having him and Harry get along. 

LadyRaMinah- I'm glad you like it. As for Blaise, until I read it in the books, I don't have to acknowledge it. It works better for me if I have Blaise being a girl. Not only for this story, but for several others as well. 

Drucilla Black- Thank you, that means a lot to me, I'm glad you like this story. I'm also glad you approve of the way I'm writing Harry and Draco, I want to make it very real, when it does happenn. Snape and Harry's relationship will be different from now on, but I think they needed years to understnad one another. Thank you again. 

Yoshi12- No, I haven't, but I'll check it out. Thanks for the recommondation. 

KC- Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I love writing darker, edgier versions of Harry so I'm having fun with this. Snape and Neville will both have big roles as this continues since I love them both. 

Agnei Smith- Thank you. 

Illucia- I'm glad you like it. Harry is coming to terms with his love for Hermione, that though he's held her in his heart for all these years, time has gone on and that he's not the boy who loved her. It's hard for him to deal with him, but being back in the wizarding world is making him face it. I write short chapters because inspiration comes so rarely that it seems better to post what I have, instead of waiting months. 

Robbly- Thank you. I'm glad you like the way I have portrayed H/D so far. I like having Snape saving Harry, but it just didn't seem in character, so I wrote this instead. Still, I do intend to build a friendship between Snape and Harry now that they've put the past aside. 

blue-hearts- Thank you so much. I am going to update this more often, I've just had so much to deal with these last few months. Harry's straight at this point, but I never said that Draco was... 

Web Walker- I'm glad you decided to stick with the story. I like darker versions of Harry, which is why I'm having so much fun with this. He is a bit of a goody-goody, but with potential. It just needs to be tapped into. 

Dadaiiro- Yes, after all these years, Harry has finally met the real Snape. I couldn't have Neville turn on Harry, not after OotP, same with Molly. Remus has his reasons, they'll be explained more in depth as the story goes on. As for Harry's powers, yes, they'll be a little rusty. But I think it's a bit like riding a bicycle, you never really forget the basics. 

Why Should I tell you- I'm glad you like my portrayal of Draco, I think he has more depth than just being an evil moron, so I'm trying to capture that. 

chaser1- Thank you. 

Carriebun- Thank you so much. I'm glad you like this story as well my others! 

gaul1- Thank you. 

Brenned- I know the pacing is a bit slow, I'm trying to get into the subject. I'm not really good with action stories and this require some action. Also I've bever written a full-fledged slash fic before, only some one shots, so I'm pacing myself for that too. I know I went way **too** long without updating, but I had some major drama in my life and no inspiration and then my beta never got back to me. I'm glad you liked the story though and thank you for voicing your concerns. 

Eternamente- Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I'll try to update more often. 

B.R. Wells- I take it you're not a fan of "The Girl Who Lived". Well, that's your perogitive. And yes, this is going to be slash. Sorry. 


	13. Part Twelve: Changes

The Betrayed   
By Misha 

_Disclaimer and Notes in Prologue._

Part Twelve- Changes

"Interesting article in the paper." Harry said quietly as he came up behind Ginny, who was in the library looking over some books. 

Harry had learnt that Ginny did a lot of research for the Order, a job that had once belonged to Hermione, during her time off from the Prophet. 

She turned around in surprise. "Wasn't it?" She asked with a light smile. 

"Why didn't you write it?" Harry asked. 

"Because I'm too close to the source." Ginny informed him. "I never write articles about the cause, because everyone knows where I stand." 

"I've missed a lot." Harry said, though he knew he didn't have to remind her. "Am I to assume the Order isn't bothering to hide the identities of it's members?" 

"Only a few." Ginny told him. "Draco, of course, as well as Snape and Theo." 

"Theo?" Harry asked. 

"Theodore Nott." Ginny answered, her voice soft. 

Harry closed his eyes, trying to put the name with a face. He only vaguely remembered the other boy--with the exception of Draco, he'd never paid all that much attention to the Slytherins, having just automatically dismissed them all as being evil. He had been a foolish little prat back then. 

"He's a member of the Order?" 

"Yes, he turned shortly after Draco did." Ginny told him quietly. "They're good friends." 

Harry nodded, filing that away for future reference. 

"But other than the double agents, we make no attempt to hide the identify of our members." Ginny told him. 

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?" Harry asked. "Like having a bulls-eye painted right on you?" 

Ginny shrugged. "Most of us already have that bulls-eye on us anyway, so it doesn't make a difference." 

Harry shook his head, the policy made no sense to him, but he had been gone long enough that he didn't really understand the situation, so he didn't try to argue.

* * *

"So Theodore Nott is a double agent?" Harry asked Draco later that afternoon. 

"Yeah, he crossed sides the same time as I did." Draco answered. "Why?" 

"Just curious." Harry replied. "Ginny just mentioned it and I realized that I don't know anything about him. I barely remember him." 

"He was in love with Blaise." Draco answered quietly. "They were going to get married, when she was killed--" 

"I understand." Harry said quietly. "I've been there after all." 

"So you know how devastated he was." Draco told him. "It shattered him, he's only just beginning to recover and mostly due to Weaslette." 

"Ginny?" Harry asked in surprise. 

"They're a couple." Draco told him. 

Harry shook his head. "Didn't see that one coming? What does Ron think?" He couldn't imagine that Ron was thrilled. 

"He hates it." Draco answered matter-of-factly. 

Harry grinned. "Good." 

Harry was okay with anything that upset Ron. 

"A little vindictive are we?" Draco asked softly. 

Harry just looked at him. "Draco, he was supposed to be my best friend, but he was the first to turn on me. Wouldn't you be vindictive?" 

"Yes." Draco admitted readily. "Just don't hold on to the anger, that never does anyone any good." 

"It's just so hard..." Harry told him. "I'm just so angry at him, even now." 

"That's understandable." Draco told him. "And I'm certainly not telling you to be friends with Weasley, but it might do you good to try and let go. Hating Weasley, as easy as it might be, isn't going to bring Hermione back." 

Harry absorbed his words silently. He knew that there was truth to Draco's words, but it was hard. For more reason than one. 

"The problem is, eight years have passed, but to me no time has." Harry told him softly. "I've been holding on to all my hate, anger and grief these eight years with no outlet and it's hard coming back and realizing how much time really has gone by." 

The world he had come back to wasn't the one he had left and he was having a really hard time dealing with it. 

"As for letting go..." Harry began. "That's part of the problem, I never even began to let go these last eight years. In some ways I moved on, I began to date, and accepted that 'Mione was dead, but I never let go of the pain or began to deal with the betrayal of those I trusted." 

"So what you're saying is that you still hate Weasley, because in some ways it still feels like only yesterday that it all happened?" Draco asked quietly. 

"Yes." Harry admitted. "Realistically, it's been eight years, but in my mind it's been no time at all. So how can I let go when the hate and anger is still so fresh?"

* * *

**SeulWolfe**- Yes, I know I take **way** too long to update this fic, it's usually a combonation of a lot of things. The Draco/Harry action is coming. I want to build the bond between them before I get into them having a relationship. 

**burningchaos**- Thank you, I'm glad you like it. 

**Kemenran**- Thanks. As for what happens next, you'll just have to wait and see. 

**kungzoune**- Thank you. I'm glad you like it and I'll try to update more often. 

**-TiKadie-**- I'm not crazy about the term "light side" either, but it fits so that's why I keep using it. 

**LiLy MaLfOy13**- Thank you. 

**crazy-lil-nae-nae**- Thank you, I'll try. 

**Kyle Brolovski**- Yeah, I do have a lot. What can I say, I have a very active muse. 

**Like Totally Like**- Thank you, I'll try. 

**Tiffyki**- Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I alwyas thought Harry needed more of a backbone and this Harry is a lot of fun to write. I'm glad you like the dream chapter, I just had to write that one. 

**DemonRogue**- Thank you. I'm glad you like the way I'm taking the Draco/Harry thing, I just really want there to be a strong foundation. 

**spinnerofdark**- Thanks. 

**lost-wombat**- Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. 

**Pandora5002002**- Thanks. 

**samuraiduck27**- Thank you, I'll try. 

**checkmarks**- Thank you. 

**Steve**- The reason the chapters are so short is a combination of two things. In the case of some of the earlier chapters, I seperate what does and doesn't flow together. With the later chapters, it's simple: my muse is stubborn when it comes to this story and ideas come slowly, so that when I do get something that fits all together, it seems best to post it right away. I do honestly believe people would prefer short chapters every 2-3 months than long chapters every year or so. 

**ChildeofBlackFriday**- I'll try. 

**Robbly**- Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I'm especially glad you like how I portray Ron. I will try to update more often, I've just got a lot on my plate. 

**HecateDeMort**- Thank you, I'll try. 

**Slash Goddess Connla**- Thanks. 

**Kei Ikari**- I know. 


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